Fallen
by Siriuslover4eva
Summary: After the Final Battle, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley's go back to the Burrow. What do they find when they get there?WARNING: DH SPOILERS, CHARACTER DEATH, AND NEED TISSUES FOR THIS ONE.


Hey guys!

Well, here's a little one shot from the end of Deathly Hallows. It's my version of what happened after Harry, Ron, and Hermione left Dumbledore's office after the final battle. Just warning you, it's very sad, I had to keep a box of tissues by me while I wrote this, you may as well. You have been warned.

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Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way down the stairs of the Headmaster's office and down the familiar trek to the Common Room. They had only gotten about halfway there before they ran into Professor McGonagall.

"Hey you three," McGonagall greeted them with a smile. "Molly is looking for you all. She's in the Great Hall."

Harry gave her a confused look but nodded none the less. McGonagall walked with them down to the Great Hall, congratulating them on their defeat of Tom. Harry accepted the praise, but knew that if it hadn't been for everyone, McGonagall included, he would not have been able to defeat the most feared dark wizard in a hundred years.

Harry knew what lay beyond the doors of the Great Hall, as they made their way across the Entrance Hall, and he wasn't sure if he could stand to go inside. But as soon as the thought entered his mind, he felt Ron and Hermione by his side, giving each other strength with their presence. Harry took a deep breath and nodded to McGonagall, who had been standing by the door as if waiting for them to be ready, and she opened the door.

The three friends walked into the Great Hall and the first thing Harry did was look up at the ceiling. It seemed that not only were the people celebrating the final defeat of the Dark Lord, but also the weather. The clear blue sky sang with victory as the sun rose for the day. Harry sighed, and finally looked down, to see the people all around, both dead and alive. Harry spotted the Weasleys, and with Ron, who looked like he was holding back tears, and Hermione, whose tears were flowing freely, they walked over to the family.

It took the group a while to realize that the three teens were walking toward them. But when Mrs. Weasley looked up and saw them coming, she ran to them yelling, "Ron! Hermione! Harry!" Ron took off and met his mum halfway and they hugged each other for support. Harry and Hermione both looked at each other and Harry had to blink back tears as they made their way closer to the embracing red heads.

Mrs. Weasley and Ron pulled away and wiped their eyes, and then she saw Harry, and moved toward him with her arms held open wide. He gladly walked into the embrace as everything that had happened came to the forefront of his mind: Remus and Tonks lying as if asleep; Fred lying on the floor in the Room of Requirement with his eyes devoid of their usual mischief; Snape lying dead after giving him his memories; his parents, Sirius, and Remus talking with him as he walked to his death; Dumbledore telling him that he wasn't dead; and the final defeat of Tom Riddle.

Harry finally let go of all the pain and anguish that he had felt in the past few hours, and held Mrs. Weasley for support as he cried. Harry felt her arms tightened around him as he let out all of his emotions of that night. He had to admit, through the tears of grief and agony, that it felt good to be held. He had never been held as a child while he cried, and he now knew what it felt like. He felt safe in the arms of the woman who had been almost like a mother to him since age eleven.

After he burned out, he thanked Mrs. Weasley in a small, constricted tone. She gave him one last squeeze, gave him a quick kiss on the side of his head, and let him go. Harry pulled away and gave her a quick smile as he wiped the remaining tears from his face. She returned the smile and then went to Hermione.

It was then that he looked and saw Remus lying next to Tonks. As if on his own accord, he moved over to the now still form of the man who he thought of as a father for the past two years. He felt his eyes filling with tears as he made his way, now only feet away from where Professor Remus John Lupin lay with his wife. Harry tried to suppress the sobs that were wracking his body as he stood next to the last Marauder. His head dropped to his hands as he tried to control his raging emotions.

After a few moments, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned and saw Ginny standing behind him, tears falling freely down her freckled face. Harry shook his head and Ginny closed the gap between them. They both cried for their friends and loved ones that had been lost that night, as well as those before that year. Harry soon found others wrapping their arms around the two sobbing teens, and they just stood there and let their emotions flow out of their tired forms, while allowing the presence of each other to help the grief seem less all-consuming.

Harry felt his chest contract painfully as he remembered those who had been more of a family to him than his own relatives: Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, and Fred. Harry sobbed harder when he realized that he would never hear Fred jokes and briefly wondered how George was holding up; he and Fred were twins after all. How would the other twin be without his other half? Harry pushed all thoughts of the ones he'd lost out of his mind as he tried to control his emotions. He calmed down and took a deep breath and heard Ginny sniffle. He pulled back and he felt the arms that were around him fall away. He quickly wiped his face and then looked around to see Ron and Hermione wiping their tears away as well, Harry knew that it had been them who had wrapped their arms around him and Ginny, and he saw most of the Weasleys standing around them as well.

Harry murmured a quick thanks and then turned away from the body of his favorite professor. A thought came to his mind, _Teddy._ He was now the legal guardian of his godson. It was weird for him to be thought of as a godfather, seeing as how he just turned legal, but he knew that he would do whatever he had to for his new godson, just as Sirius had done for him. He wondered where the little boy was right now, but decided that it would wait until later.

"Everyone alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

They all nodded with somber faces. They weren't alright, but they would be in time.

"Minerva has given all of you permission to come back to the Burrow. So, we will all go back and have breakfast before we turn in for some sleep," Mrs. Weasley told them.

Harry shook his head. "I don't want to intrude," he tried, but Mrs. Weasley cut him off.

"No, dear, you are quite welcome. You are almost a part of this family after all," she reminded him.

Harry smiled slightly. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, and he was sure that his hadn't either, but that was to be expected. Mrs. Weasley then shepherded them out of the Great Hall, and then through the Entrance Hall, and onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

As he walked across the grounds, he remembered Hagrid carrying him while he lay limply in his arms. He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind, and walked along with his friends by his side.

As if Ginny had known his thoughts, she appeared at his side and slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. Harry turned to her and gave her a small smile of appreciation.

They quickly made their way to the outer edge of the wards and stepped through. But before they apparated, Harry looked back at the place that he called his home for so long. He suddenly hated Riddle even more because he felt that Riddle had defiled his first and only home. When he turned around, he saw Ginny standing next to him with an understanding look. He looked around and saw that the rest of the Weasleys were gone.

"They went on ahead, to give you some time," she explained.

Harry nodded. "Wait…how are you leaving?" he asked.

Ginny smiled. "Mum got a portkey from McGonagall, but she gave it to me and they all just apparated back to the Burrow."

"Oh, ok. Well, I'm going to apparate and you can take the portkey," he said with a wry smile.

Ginny smiled back and nodded. Harry turned and apparated to the edge of the Burrow's wards.

When Harry stood on solid ground once again, he looked ahead and saw the rest of the Weasleys just a little ways ahead, getting closer to the Burrow. Ginny appeared beside him moments later. They quickly made their way toward the Burrow, hand in hand, and caught up to the group of red heads and the one brunette as they got to the house.

As Mrs. Weasley opened the door and walked in, she said to the group, "You all go clean up, and we'll have a spot of breakfast before we go upstairs to try and get some sleep."

They all agreed and made their way through the kitchen and were passing the clock when Harry heard a small crunch and a gasp in front of him. Harry watched as Percy stooped down and picked up something off the floor. Harry watched in confusion as Percy straightened up, looking at something in his hand, and started to sob uncontrollably. Ginny gave him a quick look and then went to her brother. Harry took a step toward the two red heads when Ginny gasped and sobbed, "Mum!"

Harry quickly went over to her, and just as Mrs. Weasley came over, Ginny showed him what had been in Percy's hands. And what he saw made his blood run cold, his chest contract, and his breathing stop as he remembered Percy bending down to pick it up.

It was Fred's hand of the Weasley family clock.

Harry felt tears sting his eyes as Ginny gave him a lost and desperate look. Looking down at the clock hand and grazing his thumb across Fred's name, he felt an emptiness deep inside him. Holding Fred's hand in his grasp, he thought that it felt too final. He knew it was true when he saw the Weasleys standing around his dead body, but to see the hand that had been on there ever since Harry had been in the house, made all of it seem too real to handle.

Harry looked up to see Ron and Hermione holding each other, Percy and Mr. Weasley giving each other any comfort that they could, George holding onto Charlie, and Fleur was comforting Bill. Harry looked around and saw Mrs. Weasley staring helplessly at his hands where Fred's hand was, and then she looked to the clock itself, where Fred's hand had always been. Harry's heart ached for the woman, and for all of them; they had all lost a brother, a son. Mrs. Weasley stood like that for a few moments, as if trying to figure out if it was all just a bad dream. But when the reality sunk in for her, despair crossed her face and she cried out and ran out the back door of the Burrow.

Tears entered Harry's eyes as he looked at Ginny, whose tears were flowing freely down her face. Ginny quickly walked into Harry's arms and gathered all the comfort that she could from him, then gave him a look, and he understood. He nodded and she ran after her mother.

Harry tried to swallow, but it seemed as if his throat didn't want to work. Then, looking around, he suddenly felt as if he was intruding. He quickly walked outside and away from the group. Walking out, he looked to the sky for the second time that morning. This time, the weather was mixed. There were gray clouds scattered along the bright blue sky. Harry hadn't walked out from the shelter of the Burrow but a few seconds when the rain started. It wasn't pouring, but it was a light rain, is if nature was crying with them. Harry stood there and allowed the rain to run over him, looking around for Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

Harry decided to walk around the house and see where they were. Harry stopped when he found them. The two Weasley women were clinging to each other as if when they let go they would never know happiness. Harry didn't know what to do. He stood at a distance and knew that life would change forever now. Nothing would be the same as it had been, in both joyful and mournful ways.

Harry watched as Ginny and Mrs. Weasley broke apart and walked together back to the house. They got to Harry and he embraced the two women. He knew that nothing could take away the hurt that everyone was feeling except time. There would be good days, and there would also be bad days. But life would go on and they would all make it through somehow.

They walked back into the house and saw Mr. Weasley setting the table, Percy doing something with his wand, and Fleur was helping Bill to make breakfast. George and Charlie were nowhere in sight. Mrs. Weasley walked over to her husband and he put the rest of the utensils down and gave her a hug.

Harry looked over to Ginny and she asked, "We'll be alright, won't we, Harry?"

Harry nodded and hugged her close. "Yeah, we'll be alright."

Ginny looked up to him and her eyes widened with shock and then she started laughing.

Harry was confused. He blinked owlishly at her as she laughed herself silly. Harry looked at the rest of the members of the Weasley family only to see them laughing as well. Mrs. Weasley was even chuckling slightly. Then it came to him.

George.

Wanting to know what was so funny, he ran to the stairs and ran straight into the laughing brothers of George and Charlie. Then he heard the laughter intensified. Harry was starting to get worried now. But looking at the family, who were laughing for the first time in days, maybe months, he decided to milk the moment, even if it meant embarrassment for himself.

"What did you guys _do_?" he asked, horrified.

The two red heads just pointed upstairs and he knew what they wanted him to do, so he quickly ran up the rest of the stairs and into the bathroom. He heard the laughter stop as he closed the door. He was suddenly worried to look into the mirror. But he knew he had to, and then figure out how to get the charm off, whatever it was.

Harry looked into the mirror and his eyes went wide. Then he screamed. "GEORGE!"

Laughter howled downstairs and he smiled, it was actually quite ingenious. There was no hair on his head and his scalp was changing colors every second. His ears were long and pointed, and as he turned around to leave, he saw something in the mirror that made him do a double take.

A tail.

He screamed again. "I'VE GOT A TAIL?!"

Now that was just cruel.

Harry now wondered whether or not to go downstairs. But his stomach suddenly rumbled and he knew he would have to go down if he wanted anything to eat. So he plucked up his Gryffindor courage, a blush tingeing his cheeks, and holding his head high, he walked out into the hallway and down the stairs. When he got low enough down the stairs, he saw the family setting the table, chuckling every now and then.

George spotted him and smiled. Harry gave him a small, knowing smile as he was greeted with, "Hey, Harry."

Harry walked over to the table and asked, "Am I going to have to eat like this?"

George smiled. "Well, it's going to last a few hours, so I'd say yes."

Harry shook his head and sat down with the rest of the Weasleys, and had to pull out his tail out from under him before he could sit down properly, and ate his first good breakfast since he had been here last summer. He looked over to Ginny, who was sitting on his right, and smiled. She smiled back and reached over and grabbed his tail. He quickly swatted her hand and took his tail back from her. He reached over and took the hand that laid in Ginny's lap and gave it a squeeze. They shared another smile and went back to eating breakfast hand in hand.

They would be alright.

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Hope you guys enjoyed it, even if it was kinda sad. George knew that he had to do a prank of some sort, they were all too sad for their own good, and the best kind of medicine is laughter, and he knew that they all needed a good dose.

On another note, I am very surprised of myself, I didn't have Sirius coming back anywhere in here…well, it's a one shot so…lol this is probably my only cannon story, except for Sirius' Escape. I'm slightly proud of myself. Anyways, hope you liked it and if you did, let me know!!!


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